CHRISTMAS IN THE TIME OF BILLY LEE

Age Range: 5 - 8

A girl named Ellie narrates this sentimental but satisfying story about wishes coming true. As Ellie prepares for Christmas with her family, she has three wishes: that her parents will believe that her unseen friend, Billy Lee, is real and not just an “imaginary friend,” that it will snow for the holiday and that her parents will be happy instead of worried about their business. All of Ellie’s wishes come true, with the added joy of the announcement of a new baby expected to arrive in the spring. Moser’s masterful illustrations use a wide variety of perspectives to make Ellie’s story believable, especially in a moonlit scene of a hillside of snow angels that mysteriously appear on Christmas Eve. He extends the characterizations, particularly of Ellie and her helpful grandmother, as well. The text and illustrations combine to make this unusual story work, and though an unseen friend seems unlikely, there’s just enough of a mysterious, magical flavor to engage readers and make the story plausible. (Picture book. 5-8)